Hotel menus too to be in Kannada

BBMP pulls down English signboards

Accusing the BBMP for being ‘Kannada Drohi’ (anti-Kannada) the KDA chairman Mukhyamantri Chandru recently directed the BBMP to promote Kannada at public places. Now, adhering to the directive, the BBMP has started taking action against those shops and hotels which are not having signboards and menu cards in Kannada.

On Saturday, the BBMP officials of Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone pulled down all the signboards from shops and seized menu cards from hotels, which were not in Kannada. Instructions were given to the shop owners and hoteliers that their signboards should all be mandatorily in Kannada. If they want they can use English below the messages in
Kannada.

BBMP Commissioner Bharat Lal Meena, joint commissioner Govindaraj and additional commissioner (administration) Sriram Reddy held a meeting on Friday with the joint commissioners of all the zones to strictly implement Kannada across Bangalore.
The Rajarajeshwari Nagar zone took the lead on Saturday by pulling down boards and seizing the menu cards.

According to the public relation officer of BBMP S S Khandre, this drive will spread across Bangalore. “We will conduct road-wise survey and if somebody is found not abiding by the instruction we will bring down the boards. If needed we may also penalise the shopkeepers, business establishments, offices and hoteliers,” the officer said.

Move welcomed

When contacted the KDA chairman Mukhyamantri Chandru welcomed BBMP’s move.
He added that there is no need for signboards and menu cards written in English. In Karnataka Kannada is sufficient because those living here should have to learn Kannada also, he said.

“Business establishments and hoteliers keep the outsiders in mind and put their signboards and menu cards in English but there is no consideration for the Kannadigas, who know no language other than Kannada. What a pity that 68 per cent of population in Karnataka’s capital city do not know Kannada. We cannot tolerate Kannada’s pathetic state in Bangalore,” Chandru added.

DH News Service